MM Online - Xavier: Hot weather till May, water shortage expected in six states (extracts)
Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink;Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge (The Rime of the Ancient Mariner)
KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 — Malaysia is expected to experience the extreme hot weather and dry season until May, said Water, Land and Natural Resource Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar.
He added that six states — Negri Sembilan, Johor, Perak, Kedah, Pahang and Kelantan — were expected to face water shortage with the weather turning hot and dry because of the lack of rainfall.
In a statement today, the minister said that there were so many locations that did not receive rainfall for over 30 days, namely Hulu Perak for 56 days and Setiu, Terengganu for 31 days.
Dr Xavier said that other critical areas which had received only less than 25 per cent of the average annual rainfall included Rembau and Tampin in Negri Sembilan and Rompin in Pahang.
Also, Padang Terap in Kedah, Cameron Highlands and Kuantan in Pahang and Dungun, Hulu Terengganu, Kemaman and Kuala Terengganu were now under the “dangerous” category as these places had also not received enough rainfall.
He added that six states — Negri Sembilan, Johor, Perak, Kedah, Pahang and Kelantan — were expected to face water shortage with the weather turning hot and dry because of the lack of rainfall.
In a statement today, the minister said that there were so many locations that did not receive rainfall for over 30 days, namely Hulu Perak for 56 days and Setiu, Terengganu for 31 days.
Dr Xavier said that other critical areas which had received only less than 25 per cent of the average annual rainfall included Rembau and Tampin in Negri Sembilan and Rompin in Pahang.
Also, Padang Terap in Kedah, Cameron Highlands and Kuantan in Pahang and Dungun, Hulu Terengganu, Kemaman and Kuala Terengganu were now under the “dangerous” category as these places had also not received enough rainfall.
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the irony of Dungun, Hulu Terengganu then flooded, now under 'dangerous' category of shortage of water |
The current weather would lead to a lack of river and dam water resources in the country.
Dr Xavier said there were three dams which now had a storage capacity of only around 50 per cent.
Dr Xavier said there were three dams which now had a storage capacity of only around 50 per cent.
Malaysia does not lie within the Sahara belt, nor does it exist in the Middle-East with Saudi Arabia although in religio-cultural cringe some people may be wishing it does.
Malaysia is a tropical country which is rich and lush with green tropical jungle, fertile jungles with bountiful rivers and streams.
Why is there such a ridiculous shortage of water for its people?
Mahathir's bête noire (pet hate) Singapore, is fed plentifully with water from Malaysia. The Island State even built and manages a humongous reservoir, Linggui, in Johor, Malaysia to ensure its supply of one of life's vital elements, is never threatened with shortage.
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Linggui reservoir in Johore |
Mahathir resents the low price Singapore pays for the Malaysian raw water, which BTW, the Island State re-supplies in treated form (with attendant higher cost) back to Johor Baru.
But Mahathir was also previously PM of Malaysia from 1981 to 2003, when he had at his disposal Malaysia's then-ever abundant oil wealth. You may, nay, must ask what did he do for Johor with regards to water supply and treatment?
Zilch, that was his contribution to mundane uninteresting-to-him water treatment. He was more interested in cornering the world's tin market, dabbling in foreign exchange-whatever and building his pet hobby, cars, but at public expense.
As a dictatorial PM then, he did nothing for Johor's treated water supply, just depending on Singapore to supply that water, and now having the brazen nerve and thick skin to complain about Singapore's poor price for Malaysia's raw water.
God knows where did all those oil and other wealth go to during his previous PM reign?
Look at Johor in a more macro view, and you have today's water shortage in Malaysia.
If proper contingency plans were developed and implemented effectively, the dry spells today would not be any worry.
It's too little too late, more so when our oil weath is dwindling.
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pandai gaduh dengan Singapore, tetapi NATO saje |
Water water everywhere in Townsville Australia but not a drop to drink for the cows in NSW. Who is to blame?
ReplyDeleteMust be Toonsie and Harapan's fault, for bringing floods to Townsville and drought in NSW.
Toonsie must immediately recommended to the Oz government to build a 4,000 km long canal from the northern Queensland to channel flood waters to the drought stricken areas in southern Queensland, NSW and Victoria. KT can lead this effort through his MP.
Mujahid must also immediately summon all imams to lead special prayer sessions to ask for divine intervention to help stricken Australians of all colours, white, black, yellow and brown. Like Kiwis' "We Are One, You are We".
And all LGBTQs in Oz must be held responsible for this tragedy and Fraser Anning too, Senator from Queensland.
QUOTE (The Guardian)
Floods, fire and drought: Australia, a country in the grip of extreme weather.
Adam Morton and Ben Smee in Townsville
Sat 9 Feb 2019
The people of Townsville know about heavy rain, but this was new. Over the past fortnight, the northern Queensland city’s 180,000 residents have been hit by a monsoon strengthened by a low-pressure front that dragged moist air south from the equator to Australia’s top end.
It dumped an unprecedented 1.4 metres of rain in less than two weeks – roughly double what falls on London in a year.
The ensuing chaos has wrecked homes and caused hundreds of millions of dollars of damage to property. Two men have drowned and videos posted to social media have shown crocodiles climbing trees and taking to elevated highways in search of shelter.
UNQUOTE
and meanwhile in NSW...
QUOTE
Australia battles drought: Livestock losses, no crops, and no rain
By Kay Vandette February 25, 2019
For farmers in New South Wales, Australia, drought comes with the territory. Australia is one of the driest continents in the world, second only to Antarctica, and around 35 percent of Australia is desert.
Climate change extremes in recent years have caused record-breaking droughts and severe heat waves resulting in some of the hottest and driest spells that farmers in New South Wales have ever experienced.
We’ve had droughts before,” Krystal Bullen, owner of 4,000 acres of land in the New South Wales town of Pilliga, told Time. “But nothing of this caliber.”
Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology announced that January 2019 was the hottest January in recorded history for the continent. The sweltering heat melted roads and killed off large populations of fish and wildlife.
Now, farmers in New South Wales are scrambling to feed their livestock and keep their livelihoods, but the drought is unrelenting.
UNQUOTE
I wonder how many dams and reservoirs can be built with all the billions and billions wasted thru corruption, theft, wastages and subsidies for non-profitable returns?
ReplyDeleteSo, what has happenned over the past 60+ years under BN? It takes time to plan and build dams, you know?
With the current Maggie mee mentality, ANYTHING must be done double quick than all the time of the previous administration.
ReplyDeleteEither that or this administration IS bloody useless - wakakakaka
There is a finite amount of water you can draw out of a catchment area without damaging the balance of nature.
ReplyDeleteMalaysia is legally obliged to provide Singapore with 250 million gallons a day to Singapore. Rain or shine .The agreement is binding, lodged with the United Nations.
Probably the stupidest lop-sided agreement ever signed by Malaysia, and I blame Tunku Abdul Rahman for passing this toxic deal to future generations.
I suppose you can blame Mahathir for not renegotiating the prices, but the debate on whether the language is a fixed timing is now going for international arbitration.
why blame Tunku when he signed it at a time which saw teh proice appropriate. Blame it on Mahathir for NOT re-negotiating the price in 1987 when the agreement came up for renewal and renegotiations - the dictator wa sthen (1987) busy with fighting Ku Li and the judiciary so to him, what's so important then about water?
DeleteYes, Tunku is partly to be blamed.
DeleteHis then intention was not kosher - it was a political enticement as reflected into the wordings of those water supply agreements signed between Singgie & Malaya.
Besides Singgie was joining Malaya, Sabah & Sarawak to form Malaysia. So what's a few cents between family? Thus that ridiculous low rates worded into the agreements.
Of course, LaoLee played the water game well too, not that he knew THEN how critical was the supply of Johore water to RedDot's future.
Mamak has his share of blame as in not renegotiate for a new water rate. He, as u mentioned - was then (1987) busy with fighting Ku Li and the judiciary.
But, the key point HERE, who was the assigned guardian of the national interest in this water issue!
The THEN Chief Secretary to the Government (Malay: Ketua Setiausaha Negara) lah! Tun Abdullah bin Mohd Salleh was the 5th Chief Secretary to the Government of Malaysia, serving as Chief Secretary from 1 October 1976 to 31 December 1978.
He was the most senior officer in the Malaysian Civil Service. He was secretary to the Cabinet of Malaysia and was the secretary-general of the Prime Minister's Department.
It was the THEN KSN's duty to REMIND mamak about the terms/conditions the water rate agreement THAT came up for renewal and renegotiations in 1987.
Mamak's then skewed attention was understandable for a politikus fighting for his political life. He was NOT all knowing! Someone who had kept watched over this water issue MUST notified him, as in ALL govt administration procedure.
If the then KSN had strongly reminded (since to safeguard national interests was his ASSIGNED responsibility), mamak would most likely acted upon it since he was always cari pasal with LaoLee/RedDot.
So, DONT just blame mamak in total for this water issue with the RedDot.
The one who SHOULD shoulder the most blame were those govt servants who were tasked to keep abreast of the national interest issues.
Perhaps the ROT in the efficiency of the bolihland administrative governance started long before the lost of the pulau Batu putih to RedDot.
The civil services were/r always been housed by nincompoops throughout the hierarchy - the unavoidable consequences of nep!
The Singgie is playing dirty now - as in harvesting the prime cut of the land by a filthy landlord while given pittance to the peasants.
The sanctity of those water agreement IS utmost as maintained in the worded clauses. But, by playing with those coldharded legal terms, (mind u, built during a different sopo circumstances), the carny approaches adopted by the Singgie IS really despiteful to the dot, as exhibited by a supposedly developed nation! More like a behavior cones out of the The Beverly Hillbillies!
Suanku is always suanku - no matter how highly educated/advanced in outlooks!
The reason I blame Tunku is the water agreement was just one of a pattern of poor judgement in negotiations with Singapore.
DeleteWhen MSA was split up, Tunku was instrumental in agreeing that MSA's entire international air operations were given to Singapore - the pilots, the jetliners, and, most of all , the crown jewels - all of independent Malaya/ Malaysia's precious landing rights in key international destinations.
Then, and now, international air landing rights are still negotiated on a government-to-government level.
MAS for sure made many bad moves in the decades since, but it is undeniable that MAS started off on the wrong footing compared to SIA on the profitable international routes.